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Hello all, Ive finally made up my mind to post after a lot of

hesitation. I'd promised myself never to post again on CML support

groups after all the in fighting that went on in a couple of other groups.

Zavie has assured me that this group is above all that & is really

here for helping & supporting patients.

Let me introduce myself : Barbara meunier, 42 years old, mother of 3

children, aged 15, 11 & 8.

I found out that I had CML when I went to give blood 4 years ago.

Initial tests at a local laboratory said that I had 29% blasts & I was

told to prepare myself for a BMT, subsequent tests at hospital showed

me to be firmly in chronic phase.

July 1st was 4 years since I took my first Glivec pill. I am part of

the Spirit trial here in France, I was on the Glivec & Ara c arm, but

after 3 disastrous attempts with the Ara-c injections, my Dr said that

I was allergic to it & told me to stop taking it.

I got to CCR after 6 months & am number 805 in Zavie's Zero Club.

I have been PCR-U more or less continously since July 2006, just 2

minor positives in my PCRs, my Glivec concentration level is spot on

at 1000.

Just one little cloud on the horizon : some of my ph neg cells have

trisomy 8 - around 60% of them a couple of years ago, but this was

down to just 10% at my last BMT in Nov. 2007.

I can honestly say that having CML doesn't affect me in the slightest

- I'm one of the lucky ones with just minor side effects (nausea &

diarrhea from time to time); I have however put on 13kg since taking

glivec; I lead a very busy life with my 3 children, keeping the

papers for my husband's carpentry business, the parents teacher

association at my kids' school & am also a local councillor here in my

little french village since March of this year.

I am treated for my CML by Dr Franck Nicolini, a lovely & caring man,

he spoke at last years UK CML meeting & is one of the leading european

experts on CML, he's always available for advice & help, even to

patients from other countries.

Well I'll close for now, I think that about sums things up. I am fully

aware of how lucky I am to be one of those who tolerate & responds

well to Glivec,

best wishes to everyone,

Barbara

PS I have been following a lot of CML blogs for a long time now, but

the one that touches me the most is the one kept by a british man

called Sudbury - type " Baldy's Blog " into your search motor &

you'll see what I mean.